15 WAYS TO WAKE UP EARLY AND GET MORE DONE!

Would you like to have more time for yourself, with the family or with your friends? Do you struggle to fit everything that you need to do in your day? Would you like to know the best way to wake up early and get more hours in every day?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then this post is for you! It is possible to get more hours out of a day, and the best way to do this is to wake up early in the morning!

Best Way To Wake Up Early

There are great benefits to waking up earlier and being a morning person. Getting up a little earlier than you normally do, will give you more time. It will also reduce your stress levels while helping you to feel more relaxed and less rushed!

Health-wise it’s also better to wake up early! People who wake up early are more positive, more optimistic, and more active. They are usually quite satisfied with their lives.

People who sleep in, on the other hand, are more likely to be stressed, due to being rushed. They are also more likely to be overweight and depressed than those who get up early.

While you may think that waking up earlier is impossible, this blog will show you how to wake up early and break your sleeping-in habit. Becoming a morning person will reset your body clock so that you can happily greet the day. So, if you want more hours in your day, below are 15 tips on the best way to wake up early.

1. You Snooze, You Lose!

People that wake up early are more likely to function at a higher level than those that sleep in. Early risers generally find it easier to make important decisions, plan their day and to set goals. They tend to feel more energetic, more productive and optimistic than those that sleep in past 9 am.

Studies show that students that wake up early, have better memories and achieve higher scores in exams than students that sleep in. People that are well rested are more efficient and get things done quicker and better. This is because getting up earlier reduces the need to rush around, which results in being stressed.

To get up earlier, you will need to go to sleep earlier!

2. Gradual Changes

In order to become a morning person you need to learn how to wake up early. The best results occur if you take things slow. First of all, pick a new realistic wake-up time. Then gradually work towards this time in 15-minute increments.

For example, if you normally get up at 8 am, but want to rise at 7 am, you will need to readjust your sleeping habits by 15-minute increments each week until you reach your goal. By the same token, you will also need to go to bed 15 minutes earlier each night. Otherwise, you will be too tired to wake up at the new earlier time in the morning.

Once your body clock is set, you will find that you won’t need an alarm clock to wake up. This is because you will wake up naturally. However, if you still need an alarm clock to wake you up each morning, then you aren’t getting enough sleep. You need to go to bed earlier!

3. Wind-Down Before Bed

It is easier to fall asleep if you are calm and relaxed. It is, therefore, best to avoid things that may excite or stress you such as watching riveting shows. Answering work-related emails or having arguments with family members should also be avoided.

At least an hour before bed, get your body and mind in the mood for slumber. Turn down any bright lights and turn off all electronic equipment.

Do something that will help you to relax, slow down your breathing and heart rate. You can do this by listening to soothing music, meditating, taking a bath or shower, or reading a relaxing book in a low-lit room.

4. Go To Bed When You Are Tired

Some people need more sleep, and some need less sleep. But generally, people need between 7-8 hours of sleep each night. The key to waking up early is dependent on how well and long you sleep.

Research shows that people who don’t get enough sleep, may suffer from increased risk of medical problems. The same applies to people that get too much sleep. Both groups may increase the risk of stroke, diabetes, and heart complaints.

So how can you tell how much sleep you actually need? If you fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow then you’re probably not getting enough sleep. Drifting off should take between 10-15 minutes. On the other hand, if you wake up feeling refreshed and energetic, then you’re probably getting enough sleep.

Trying to sleep when you aren’t tired won’t work. Doing this will ensure that you’ll toss and turn all night long. This causes frustration, anxiety, and irritation.

Once you start to regularly wake up early every day, then you’ll also get tired earlier each night. And if you go to bed when you are tired, you will be well rested in the morning.

5. Consistent Sleep Schedule

Your body’s natural circadian rhythm wants you to sleep when it’s dark and get up when its light. But our hectic lives sometimes make us vary our bedtimes based on our changing daily activities.

Many people love to sleep in on the weekends due to late nights socializing or to catch up on sleep. If you have trouble waking up early on weekdays, changing your sleeping patterns on weekends will set you back.

Don’t be tempted to alter your regular sleep patterns. The best way to wake up early is to go to bed at the same time each night. Your body will perform better if you get up at the same time each morning.

Being consistent will help your body to fall into a natural rhythm. This will then change your sleeping patterns so that you wake up in the morning refreshed!

6. Develop Good Sleeping Habits

A dark room helps facilitate sleep. So, turn off all lights every night to ensure the best conditions for sleep. If you can’t fall asleep, the worst thing that you can do is to lie in bed watching the clock. Worrying about why you can’t sleep will lead to anxiety and make it harder to fall asleep.

Instead of tossing and turning get out of bed and do something else. Don’t turn on any bright lights or any electronic equipment.

Try listening to some quiet relaxing music, or meditate if you are into that. Or you can read a “REAL” book (not electronic one), that isn’t too exciting and soon you will be drifting off.

7. Ideal Bedroom Environment

Another way to wake up early is to make sure that the environment in your bedroom is ideal for sleeping! Keep your room dark and the temperature on the cooler side to help reduce your internal temperature.

Sleeping under too many blankets may hinder your sleep if your core body temperature is too high. If you are struggling to sleep in the warmer months of the year, try running a fan during the night. A cooler environment is more conducive to helping you fall asleep faster than an over-heated one.

In the colder months of the year, set your timer to turn on the heat in your bedroom about half an hour before you need to wake up. A warm room in winter will make it easier for you to want to get out of bed on those cold winter mornings. Keep a warm dressing gown handy so that you can slip into it as soon as you get up.

8. Keep Electronics Out Of The Bedroom

Your bedroom isn’t the place to keep your TV, mobile devices or other electronic gadgets if you have difficulty sleeping. The light from TVs and other electric equipment such as mobile phones, iPods, laptops and electronic readers emit stimulating light which slows down the body’s ability to fall asleep.

It’s also too easy to be tempted to watch a show, surf the net, or watch YouTube videos on your devices if they are close at hand. Before you know it, you will be so absorbed that several hours will go by. You will be wide awake in the wee hours of the night, and then you will have difficulty waking up the next day.

9. Keep Pets Out

Insomniacs should never sleep with their pets. Dogs tend to snore while cats are nocturnal and roam around during the night. This can be very disruptive to your sleep patterns if you are a light sleeper. Instead, place pets in a different room with their own pet bed so that you can get a good night’s sleep.

10. Don’t Hit The Snooze Button

If you need to use an alarm to wake up early in the morning, its best to keep it as far away from your bed as possible. Doing this will stop you from pressing the snooze button in order to get an extra five or 10 minutes sleep.

By putting your alarm out of reach, you will need to get up out of bed in order to turn it off. Don’t delay getting out of bed when you are already awake. Doing this will make you feel more tired than if you get up straight away.

Once you are up you can start your preparations for your day. Starting your day at the first ring of the alarm, you will help you to feel more energetic and productive.

11. Eat Healthy Foods

Drink a cup of tea or coffee in the morning when you wake up. This will help boost your mood and help you to focus. However, it is also very important to make sure that you have enough time every day for a good breakfast.

Eating a good protein and complex carbohydrate-rich breakfast will spike up your energy levels to get you going. Eating breakfast not only makes you feel more alert, but it also establishes healthy eating habits for the rest of the day.

People that sleep in, often tend to skip breakfast because they run out of time. When you skip breakfast, your body goes into starvation mode. This means that the next time you eat something, you are more likely to crave unhealthy junk foods and overeat these foods because you are starving.

If you suffer from heartburn or reflux, avoid large portions of fried and fatty foods or rich and spicy foods before bed. Foods that are high in acid, and late-night meals can also cause heartburn which can disrupt your sleep.

12. Don’t Drink Stimulants Before Bed

People who have trouble falling asleep should keep well away from drinking too much alcohol. Many people do initially fall asleep due to the preliminary effects of too much alcohol. But alcohol can act as a stimulant as your body processes it.

This can lead to shallow, fragmented, poor quality sleep later in the night. You will also feel groggy when you wake up. If you like a drink, just have 1 or 2 with your dinner, at least 2 hours before bedtime.

Simulates such as coffee and tea should be avoided before bed. The caffeine in coffee and tea can remain in the body for many hours after you drink it. If you normally have trouble winding down and feel jittery at night, then caffeine may be the problem.

It is best to steer clear of after-dinner coffee or tea if you are sensitive to caffeine.

13. Natural Sunlight

Research shows that natural sunlight keeps our body clock on track. Allowing the early morning sunlight into your bedroom is one of best ways to wake up early.

If you have blinds or shutters, open them to let in the daylight as soon as you get out of bed. If it’s dark outside, turn on the lights to help you feel more awake.

Natural sunlight boosts our mood and helps us to feel energized, calm and focused. So, get outside into the sun for at least 15 minutes each day and enjoy some fresh air. It will make you feel happier and give you the energy you need to get moving.

14. Move Your Body

Once you are up out of bed, get moving as this is a great way to combat exhaustion. If you still feel sleepy, wash your face and drink a glass of water. This will help you to become more awake and you can then start preparing for your day.

Morning exercises have an abundance of health benefits so if you have time you should do some exercises. A short cardio workout or stretch exercise will start your blood pumping, energize you, make you more alert and give you a pep in your step.

Exercising early in the morning not only makes you feel good all day, but it makes it easier to fall asleep at night. However, if you don’t have time to exercise in the morning you should exercise later in the day or at night to ensure a healthy, flexible body. Just don’t exercise too close to bedtime as this may overexcite. Over stimulation make it more difficult to fall asleep.

15. Focus On Important Tasks.

Once you are fully awake, focus on the important tasks for the day. There is no point in delaying the inevitable. Instead, it makes more sense to tackle the worst job or the most time-consuming tasks first to get them out of the way.

Once you have accomplished this, the rest of the day’s tasks will seem much easier and more manageable, especially if you employ time management skills.

When you get up early in the morning you will find that there are also fewer distractions in the early hours of the day. Fewer interruptions will allow you to achieve more at the beginning of each day.

Get Started

Now that you know how to get up early in the morning and get more hours out of the day, you need to put these tips into action. Set yourself up for success by taking it slowly one day at a time. Your aim should be to get a total of 7 to 8 hours of sleep per day. Start small by waking up 15-minutes earlier than normal.

If you normally get 7 to 8 hours of sleep per day, then you will also need to go to bed 15 minutes earlier than you usually do to get the same amount of sleep. If you normally sleep for more than 8 hours per day, then you don’t need to go to bed earlier, you just need to get up earlier.

Stay with your new wake-up time and bedtime for at least one week or more before making any more changes to these times. Once your body accepts the new wake up time, then you can once again reduce your sleeping in time by another 15 minutes. Keep doing this until you finally get to your desired wake up time.

Wake Up Early and Be Productive

There are many benefits to waking up early in the morning. People who get up earlier get more done quicker and better than night owls.

Early risers are more productive after a good night’s sleep, because their brains are well rested. Morning people are less distracted, are better decision makers and are more positive about life than those that sleep in.

Sleeping for more than 7 to 8 hours per day means that you are missing out on enjoying life. Spend the time that you gain by waking up earlier with your family or friends. Being a morning person is definitely worth the effort as it gives you time for yourself or a favoritehobby.

Now that you know the best way to wake up early in the morning, put them into practice. You will then find that you have enough hours in the day to get everything that you need to do, done!

What motivates you to wake up early in the morning? What helps you to fall asleep?

Thanks for your comments. Some people are early birds while others would rather sleep in. I find that I get more done if I get up early. Studies show that people who get up early don’t only achieve more, but are less stressed than people that sleep in.

Life is easier and less stressful if you can calm down and relax before going to bed. So avoid things that may cause stress such as answering work-related emails. For me, the best way to relax is to listen to soothing music.

I hope that you can find some way to relax before going to bed as it will make a huge difference to how you feel in the morning.

Love this article! It has suggestions that the likes of me can actually follow! I’m not an early riser but taking your advice to just do it incrementally and I can see myself becoming an early riser slowly but surely. Also because I’m not an early riser, it takes me a while to become active when I awake. The suggestion of just drinking a glass of water actually helps with my waking up process.

Thank you for sharing! I need to print this article out and put it on the fridge so that I read it in passing as my evening draws to a close … and when I’m trying to wake up while in the kitchen going through the breakfast motions 🙂

Thanks for your comments. Yes it can be difficult getting up early in the morning. But the advantages such as being more positive, and the increase in productivity, I believe, out weigh the extra snooze time when sleeping in.

The best way to get up earlier, is to do it in 15 minute increments, otherwise your new wake up schedule won’t stick and you will miss out on all the benefits of being an early bird.